Elijah Wood Reveals Why Deep Impact’s Heartbeat Outshines Armageddon’s Bang

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Elijah Wood discusses why his rival movie to “Armageddon,” released in 1998, is not just a showy spectacle. Starring Bruce Willis, the science-fiction film, known as “Armageddon,” was an enormous success at the box office, earning $553 million globally and outperforming Steven Spielberg’s critically acclaimed “Saving Private Ryan” that year. Directed by Michael Bay, “Armageddon” tells the story of a team assembled to destroy a massive asteroid before it crashes into Earth.

Besides Willis portraying oil driller Harry S. Tramper, the cast of Armageddon also features Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Will Patton, Steve Buscemi, William Fichtner, Owen Wilson, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Jason Isaacs. Despite receiving little critical acclaim, Armageddon is often recognized as one of Bay’s finest works, not just for its box office success, but also for being cherished by audiences today. In 1998, another film with a similar plot was released, and the two narratives have been frequently compared ever since.

Elijah Wood Explains The “Core Heart” Of Deep Impact

Armageddon & Deep Impact Have Similar Premises

Wood explains why “Deep Impact” transcends being just a disaster film. Released concurrently with “Armageddon,” “Deep Impact” portrays humanity’s efforts to destroy a colossal comet on a collision course with Earth. In the movie, Wood plays Leo Biederman, an astute high school student who discovers the comet first. Due to their similar plot and close release dates, both films were frequently compared. Although it didn’t achieve the box office success of “Armageddon,” “Deep Impact” was still a commercial hit, earning $349 million globally.

While reminiscing on films and series featuring Vanity Fair, where he once acted, Wood shares insights about Deep Impact. He points out that the film wasn’t just about the cosmic event itself, but more so about human reactions to the approaching disaster. His character, he explains, is driven to expedite his romantic relationship and other personal matters due to the looming time constraint affecting all of humanity. Wood expresses gratitude for starring in a movie that balanced emotional depth with its grand spectacle. Here are his thoughts below:

The film explores what the characters decide to accomplish with their dwindling time, and how these choices reveal their identities, past experiences, and future plans. In this story, our characters, who might be in love or dating, find themselves rushing towards significant milestones such as marriage and other life events due to their limited time remaining. As a result, they experience an intense, fast-paced romance driven by circumstances beyond their control, which I found intriguing. And for two teenagers like myself, it was a fascinating chance to portray such complex emotions on screen.

I found the emotional depth in it more appealing than its focus on being visually impressive. Competing films like Deep Impact and Armageddon, both about asteroids threatening Earth, were quite similar. However, crafting a massive, globally impactful film with an emotional core made the project incredibly enjoyable.

Our Take On Elijah Wood’s Comments

Deep Impact Has An Edge Over Armageddon

Although the stories behind them share some common ground, “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact” stand out as exceptional natural disaster movies. Each film offers a generous dose of excitement and tense situations, but it’s “Deep Impact” that arguably excels in character development. The characters in this movie are well-rounded representations of who they were before and who they aspire to be during the limited time they have left. Director Mimi Leder ensures that her film maintains focus on its characters, even amidst the intense spectacle created by the fictional events.

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2025-04-21 05:20